Left Coast Crime 2014: Calamari Crime

It's official. 2014 Left Coast Crime: Calamari Crime will take place March 20-23 in Monterey, CA, at the Portola Hotel & Spa.

Guests of Honor:  Cara Black (US) and Louise Penny (International)
Fan Guest of Honor: Sue Trowbridge
Toastmaster: Brad Parks

More information will be available on the Calamari Crime website soon:
www.leftcoastcrime.org/2014/

Mystery Bytes: Anne Holt's Hanne Wilhemsen TV series

From the Hollywood Reporter:

Graham King (Port Royal at FX, Dreamland at Lifetime and Hurt People at Cinemax) has closed a deal to develop Anne Holt’s Hanne Wilhelmsen series, which includes eight novels. The detective drama project has not yet been shopped to networks.

Scandinavian noir has been a fertile ground for adaptation coming off of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Holt, who has sold upward of 6 million copies around the world, will serve as an executive producer, alongside producer Anne Thomopoulos (Rome, Generation Kill) and literary agent Niclas Salomonsson.

In addition to her collection of novels, the Oslo-based author and one-time journalist worked for the Oslo Police Department before founding a law firm and serving as Norway’s Minister for Justice.

Hat Tip: Pop Culture Nerd

Paris Bookstore for Sale

Oh to be in Paris! (apologies, but England vs Paris is a no brainer for me). Who hasn't wanted to live in Paris? And, if you're reading this blog, there's also a chance you've always wanted to own a bookstore. Here's your chance!

The Red Wheelbarrow, an English Language Paris Bookstore in the Marais, is for sale. Interested?

According to Shelf Awareness,  Penelope Fletcher, owner of The Red Wheelbarrow, has put her shop up for sale "fonds de commerce (the location, the lease, the goodwill, the clientele and the name, but excluding debts). Inventory available on consignment or at one-third value. 38/40 square meters."

Fletcher notes that "a location on a much-traveled street in the heart of one of Paris' trendiest and liveliest quartiers, a clientele of alert (or lucky) tourists and of branché and interesting expatriates have made The Red Wheelbarrow a joy of a bookstore and a local institution. More than simply a shop from which to sell books in English, it has been a center for readings by authors as they swing through Paris, and a magnet for conversation between old friends encountering each other by design or fortune, and between strangers who find themselves talking with each other about Paris and, of course, books. It has become the bookstore in Paris we have all--at one time or another of our lives--dreamed of owning. Unfortunately, as Keats too learned, nothing lasts forever."

Because "circumstances are demanding a rapid sale," Fletcher said she would consider "a very low" sale price to "fulfill a dream of your own." Inquiries can be made to Penelope Fletcher, The Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore, 22 rue Saint Paul, 75004 Paris; 33 (0) 1 48 04 75 08.

Memorial Day 2012: Joseph Rudolph

Memorial Day is a day to remember those who served our country. My father, Joseph Rudolph, was a Captain in the Army during WWII. He served the front as a physician and received the purple heart. Such stories he told, but not until almost 40 years after the war.

Miss you, Dad.

Joseph Rudolph 1942

Memorial Day Crime Fiction

If you're celebrating Memorial Day this weekend, you'll want to take a look at some of these special Crime Novels set during the holiday. Memorial Day in the U.S. is now part of a three day holiday weekend. Many think of this weekend as the beginning of Summer, a time for barbecues (Barbecue Mysteries), the beach, the cabin, and S'mores, but the true meaning of Memorial Day aka Decoration Day is a day of remembrance of those who fell to protect us, of those who didn't come home. Many people go to cemeteries and memorials on the last Monday in May. There is a tradition to fly the flag at half mast and wear poppies, although since that's a WWI observance, not sure if it still happens.

And, of course, if you're a mystery reader, you'll want to read one of the following books. Let me know if I've forgotten any titles.

Memorial Day Mysteries

Memorial Day by Vince Flynn
The Decoration Memorial Day War by David H. Brown
Absolute Certainty by Rose Connors
Memorial Day by Harry Shannon
Shadows at the Fair by Lea Wait
The Memorial Day Mystery short stories on the web.

For the young set: The Mystery of the Memorial Day Fire by Kathryn Kenny, a Trixie Belden mystery.

And, you may want to have a look at my Veterans Day Mystery List

Have a good holiday. Be safe and Remember.

CrimeFest Awards

CrimeFest Awards just in!

Best Abridged Crime Audiobook: 
Lee Child / The Affair read by Kerry Shale [Random House Audiobooks]

Nominees for Best Unabridged Crime Audiobook:
S. J. Watson / Before I Go To Sleep read by Susannah Harker [Random House Audio with AudioGO]

The Goldsboro Last Laugh Award for best humorous crime novel:
Declan Burke / Absolute Zero Cool [Liberties Press]

The eDunnit Award for best crime fiction ebook first published in both hardcopy and in electronic format
Denise Mina / The End of the Wasp Season [Orion]

Congratulations to all!

CWA Dagger Shortlist

The CWA Dagger Shortlists were announced at CrimeFest in Bristol on May 25. Winners will be announced July 5.

CWA International Dagger:
• The Potter’s Field, by Andrea Camilleri, translated by Stephen Sartarelli (Mantle)
• I Will Have Vengeance, by Maurizio de Giovanni, translated by Anne Milano Appel (Hersilia Press)
• Until Thy Wrath Be Past, by Åsa Larsson, translated by Laurie Thompson (Quercus/MacLehose)
• Trackers, by Deon Meyer, translated by T.K.L Seegers (Hodder & Stoughton)
• Phantom, by Jo Nesbø, translated by Don Bartlett (Harvill Secker)
• The Dark Valley, by Valerio Varesi, translated by Joseph Farrell (Quercus/MacLehose)

CWA Non-fiction Dagger:
• To Live Outside the Law, by Leaf Fielding (Serpent’s Tail)
• Dark Market, by Misha Glenny (Vintage)
• Hood Rat, by Gavin Knight (Pan Macmillan)
• The Negotiator, by Ben Lopez (Little, Brown)
• Witness, by David Smith with Carol Ann Lee (Mainstream)
• The Eleventh Day, by Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan (Transworld/Doubleday)

CWA Short Story Dagger:
• “The Golden Hour,” by Bernie Crossthwaite (from Guilty Consciences, edited by Martin Edwards; Severn House
• “Hixton,” by William Kent Krueger (from Crimes by Moonlight, edited by Charlaine Harris; Gollancz)
• “The Message,” by Margaret Murphy (from Murder Squad: Best Eaten Cold and Other Stories, edited by Martin Edwards; The Mystery Press)
• “He Did Not Always See Her,” by Claire Seeber (from Guilty Consciences)
• “A Long Time Dead,” by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins (from The Best American Mystery Stories 2011, edited by Harlan Coben and Otto Penzler; Corvus)
• “Laptop,” by Cath Staincliffe (from Murder Squad: Best Eaten Cold and Other Stories)

CWA Ellis Peters Historical Dagger:
• The Crown, by Nancy Bilyeau (Orion)
• I Will Have Vengeance, by Maurizio de Giovanni (Hersilia Press)
• Bitter Water, by Gordon Ferris (Corvus)
• Prague Fatale, by Philip Kerr (Quercus)
• Icelight, by Aly Monroe (John Murray)
• Sacrilege, by S.J. Parris (HarperCollins)
• A Willing Victim, by Laura Wilson (Quercus)

CWA Dagger in the Library:
• Belinda Bauer
• S.J. Bolton
• Susan Hill
• Peter May
• Steve Mosby
• Imogen Robertson

CWA Debut Dagger:
• Death by Glasgow, by Jon Breakfield
• Easy to Die, by Sean Carpenter
• The Watchers, by Karen Catalona
• One Man Army, by Bram E. Gieben
• Beached, by Sandy Gingras
• Trick, by Sean Hancock
• Broken-Winged Bird, by Renata Hill
• Death Knell, by Rob Lowe
• Chasing Shadows, by Lesley McLaren
• The Wrong Domino, by Simon Miller
• Message from Panama, by Britt Vasarhelyi
• Port of Spain, by Elizabeth Wells

Golden Gate Bridge: Vertigo

Happy Birthday, Golden Gate Bridge! 75 years young!
Here's a clip of the Golden Gate Bridge rescue from Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo.

Shrouded in Mysteries: The Golden Gate Bridge

Guest blogger Randal S. Brandt is a librarian at The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, and the creator of two critically-acclaimed websites: Golden Gate Mysteries, an annotated bibliography of crime fiction set in the San Francisco Bay Area, and A David Dodge Companion, chronicling the life and works of mystery/thriller writer David Dodge (1910-1974).

RANDAL S. BRANDT:

In honor the 75th anniversary of the official opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley is pleased to present “Shrouded in Mysteries,” a guided tour of the bridge as depicted on the covers of mystery, detective, and crime novels.

Within just a few short years of its opening to traffic on May 28, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge began appearing on the covers of San Francisco mysteries. The earliest known depiction of the bridge on a mystery novel occurred in 1940, on the cover of John Mersereau’s Murder Loves Company. Since then, the span has been featured on dozens of books. With its grace and beauty, and as the Bay Area’s iconic landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge immediately connects the reader to the setting of the story. The bridge is also symbolic danger and death, two elements inherent in crime fiction. Just as the physical bridge is often shrouded in fog, the image of the bridge is now shrouded with the stories told in these fictional mysteries.

Enjoy the tour: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/omeka/exhibits/show/shrouded-in-mysteries

Following are a few covers.. Be sure and go through the entire tour on the site above.. fabulous covers.

 

Be sure and check out more covers (and books) HERE.

Killer Heels

Pretty much any of these shoes would have a place in my closet. Sadly, because of the height of them, not the design, I probably won't be able to wear them.

The pair above were worn by Madonna in 2009.  They were part of the Lagerfeld Chanel 2009 resort collection. Needless to say Madonna was criticized for wearing them.

And in case, you need a pair in silver. Also part of the Lagerfeld resort collection 2009.

And a few more Gun Shoes:

And every woman needs a good pair of boots!

Medieval Help Desk

Thanks to Christine McCann for a link to this Medieval Help Desk video:

The Big Sleep Trailer 1944

1944 trailer for The Big Sleep with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
You'll love the opener 'in the library."

Hat Tip: @FilmNoirLives

Book Club Doormat

Thanks to Judy Bobalik for a link to this must-have doormat!

Go here to order.

Barbecue Mysteries

Memorial Day Weekend is coming up, and I'll be posting a Memorial Day Crime Fiction list. In the meantime, I thought I'd update my Barbecue Mysteries list. Let me know any titles I've missed, and I'll add them.

So many ways one can murder someone at a barbecue, from the sauce to the skewers to the grill. Here's a short list of Barbecue Mysteries. Let me know if I've forgotten any!

Barbecue Mysteries

Delicious and Suspicious, Hickory Smoked Homicide, Finger Lickin' Dead by Riley Adams  (The Barbeque Mysteries)
Several of the recent Dan Rhodes books by Bill Crider
Murder at the Blue Ridge Barbecue Festival by Gene Davis
Finger Lickin' Fifteens by Janet Evanovich
The Big Barbecue by Dorothy B. Hughes
The King is Dead by Sarah Shankman
Stiffs and Swine by J.B. Stanley
Revenge of the Barbecue Queens by Lou Jane Temple
Barbecue by A. E.H. Veenman

Short Stories: "Gored" by Bill Crider in Murder Most Delicious
Young Readers: The Barbecue Thief by Starike

Want a little chocolate on the barbie this weekend? 
Check out recipes on my other blog: DyingforChocolate.com
S'mores on the Grill  
Banana Boats
Chocolate Barbecue Sauce
Spicy Chocolate Rub
Cocoa Spiced Salmon Rub 
Scharffen Berger Caco Nib Rub for Trip Tip

Mystery Bytes: Upcoming TV News

Just a few additions to TV Mystery News. 

I mentioned that Lucy Liu would be in the new Sherlock Holmes series set in NYC (!!), and it's official. The full series of seven shows has been greenlighted on CBS. Also stars Jonny Lee Miller.

Body of Proof with Dana Delany about a Philadelphia medical examiner has gotten the go ahead for another season on ABC.

FX has picked up TV rights to Chelsea Cain's thrillers featuring serial killer Gretchen Lowell.

ABC Family developing (doesn't mean it will air) to a teen mystery series called The Keys about a mysteriouos island resort.

The CBC announced its fall 2012 lineup, which includes Murdoch Mysteries, recently dropped by Citytv. Set in 19th-century Toronto and starred Yannick Bisson as detective William Murdoch and Hélène Joy as pathologist Julia Ogden. The new series will move into the 20th century.

The CBC is including its first original police procedural, Cracked, (from the writer of Flashpoint and The Bridge), starring David Sutcliffe as a Toronto police officer suffering from PTSD assigned to the psych unit. 

Hat Tip: BV Lawson for updates and news!

Cartoon of the Day: Editor

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel Award Longlist

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award highlighting crime novels published by British and Irish authors over the last year.

2012 Longlist

• Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch (Gollancz)
• Darkside by Belinda Bauer (Corgi)
• Now You See Me by SJ Bolton (Corgi)
• Where the Bodies Are Buried by Chris Brookmyre (Abacus)
• The Burning Soul by John Connolly (Hodder Paperback)
• The Calling by Neil Cross (Simon & Schuster)
• The Hanging Shed by Gordon Ferris (Corvus)
• Bryant and May and the Memory of Blood by Christopher Fowler (Bantam)
• Blue Monday by Nicci French (Michael Joseph)
• The Fear Index by Robert Harris (Arrow)
• The Retribution by Val McDermid (Sphere)
• The End of the Wasp Season by Denise Mina (Orion)
• Black Flowers by Steve Mosby (Orion)
• Collusion by Stuart Neville (Vintage)
• The Impossible Dead by Ian Rankin (Orion)
• Mice by Gordon Reece (Pan Books)
• Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith (Simon & Schuster)
• Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson (Black Swan)

2012 Voting Procedures
The names of the six shortlisted titles will be announced on Thursday 5 July 2012 and readers will be able to help decide which of the six short-listed authors will take home the most coveted title in crime fiction, by casting your vote online at www.theakstons.co.uk

The result of the online vote will be counted alongside the votes of the expert judging panel in order to determine the 2012 winner.

Liam Neeson to star in Lawrence Block's A Walk Among the Tombstones

According to Deadline:

Liam Neeson is set to star as Matt Scudder in A Walk Among the Tombstones, the Scott Frank-scripted adaptation of the Lawrence Block series. Frank will direct his script.

The movie will begin production February, 2013 in New York and is the first film in a new three-year deal between Exclusive Media and Cross Creek Pictures to develop, finance and produce at least two films per year, with budgets up to $65 million.

Each of the films will be released through Universal Pictures, which has a slate distribution deal with Cross Creek.

 
Read more HERE.

A.A. Milne's House at Pooh Corner for Sale

Christopher Robin Milne, the son of Winnie the Pooh creator A.A. Milne, grew up in this quaint brick mansion in the English countryside. Christopher Robin inspired the young boy of the same name in Milne's iconic children's stories and, so too did the bucolic setting of the family home serve as the backdrop.

Known as Cotchford Farm, and on the market for the first time in more than 40 years, the Grade II listed estate spans 9.5 acres of lawns, forest, and streams. The six-bedroom main house, the quintessential English country house if there ever was one, is listed for $3.22M.

The listing for 9.5-acre Cotchford Farm notes that the house was bought by A.A Milne in 1925 as a country retreat for himself, his wife and son, Christopher Robin. "It was here, amidst the beautiful Sussex countryside and surrounding woodland where the wonderful stories of Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh came to life, now world famous childhood classics. The local area is now commonly referred to as 'Pooh Country' and places in the books such as the 500 acre wood, Galleons Lap, Poohsticks bridge and Pooh Corner are all based on nearby locations, where Christopher Robin used to visit with his bear 'Winnie The Pooh'."

A.A. Milne also wrote The Red House Mystery.

There's more to the Milne house than just Pooh, as it was also later owned by Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, who reportedly died on the property.

Hat Tip: Dani at Blogbooktours

Murderous Month of May: Keir Graff

Today I welcome Keir Graff, Editor, Booklist Online.

KEIR GRAFF:

Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association, reviews books, audiobooks, videos, and internet databases for public and school librarians. Our 8,000 reviews each year cover everything from literary fiction for adults to gardening books for kids—we try to include everything that a medium-sized public library would need to have on the shelves for its patrons. Each print issue of the magazine includes a themed spotlight, such as our May 1 Mystery Showcase.

We try to do right by every genre, of course, but publisher Bill Ott and I are both huge mystery fans, and so we possibly do a little bit better by crime fiction. And, hey, mysteries are second only to romance in terms of readership, so why not? A few years ago I had the bright idea of declaring May to be Mystery Month, during which we would complement the rich offerings from the print issue with a wealth of Booklist Online–exclusive extras. We’re midway through this year’s Mystery Month and so far it’s the best yet. We kicked things off early with a webinar, The Murderous Month of May, then announced the May 1 print issue with our e-newsletter, REaD ALERT, which included free links to our selection of “The Year’s Best Crime Novels” and a whole lot more. Another e-newsletter, Booklist Online Exclusives, included reviews and features that we couldn’t quite fit in the magazine.

This is sounding kind of list-y, and I apologize. Frankly, we’re publishing so much stuff that the only way I can get my head around it is to just put it all down. But what I really love about Mystery Month is the way I can pursue offbeat things that interest me whether or not we have room for them in print. I’m writing an ongoing series about trends in crime fiction, for example (see “From beyond the Grave: Dead Authors, Living Series”); I got to interview Ariel S. Winter, author of the fantastic debut novel The Twenty-Year Death; and I had a blast with the offbeat list “Read-alikes: Baked Burglars, Hippie Detectives, and Slacker Sleuths.” There is much, much more beyond that . . .

Our many bloggers have been busy, too, publishing everything from hilarious Q&As with Chelsea Cain to the basics of Harry Bosch to profiles of other must-read mystery publications. (If you follow that link, you’re going to end up more or less back where you started!) We’re sharing all of this on our Facebook page and on Twitter (hashtagged #mysterymonth). Finally, if you want a humorous—and completely fictional—look inside the offices of Booklist, here’s a link to a piece I did four years ago, “Reading Is My Business.”

It’s great to be here at Mystery Fanfare, and I hope that you’ll take a look at what we’ve got going on over at Booklist Online. I’d love to hear from you on Twitter, Facebook, in blog comments, or by good, old-fashioned e-mail.

Happy Mystery Month!

Paul Levine: Solomon vs Lord

Today I welcome back crime fiction author, fellow chocolate lover, and friend, Paul Levine. His “Solomon vs. Lord” series has been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, International Thriller, and James Thurber awards. The four legal thrillers are now available as e-books on Amazon Kindle. In today's guest post, Paul Levine discusses his main characters, or as he puts it, “How I stole the idea for Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord.”

Paul Levine:

“No matter what you think you think, you think the same as I think.”
            –Spencer Tracy to Katherine Hepburn in “Adam’s Rib

That classic line formed the underpinning of my battle-of-the-sexes novel, “Solomon vs. Lord.” The dialogue expresses a man’s frustration in dealing with the woman he both loves and battles in the courtroom.

One of my favorite movies, “Adam’s Rib” involved an unlikely trial in which the prosecutor (Tracy) and defense lawyer (Hepburn) are married.  The defendant (Judy Holliday) shot and wounded her philandering husband (Tom Ewell), but the legal case was overshadowed by the conflict between the bickering, bantering lawyers.

Similarly, “Solomon vs. Lord” opens with Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord in jail for contempt after one-too-many outbursts in court.  Just as in “Adam’s Rib,” they’re on opposite sides of a case.  Unlike Tracy and Hepburn’s characters, they’re not married.  Heck, they don’t even like each other...at first.

Before long, Victoria is fired from her job as a prosecutor – thanks to Steve – and they both go after a high-publicity client: a young woman accused of killing her older, wealthy husband during a night of kinky sex.  The only way either one can get the case is to team up with the other.  They become reluctant partners, squabbling all the way.

Victoria insists on following the letter of the law.  Steve makes up his own rules, starting with: “When the law doesn’t work...work the law.”  Similarly, Steve says: “A creative lawyer considers a judge’s order a mere suggestion.”  Victoria’s reaction: “You’re the most unethical lawyer I know.”  Steve fires back: “You’re new at this.  Give it time.”

So if you think of the battling lawyers in “Adam’s Rib” or Nick and Nora Charles in “The Thin Man” or Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd in “Moonlighting,” the resemblance is purely intentional.  (The television dramedy “Castle” is another example of the genre).

In “Moonlighting,” Shepherd’s character Maddie says of Willis’s David: “You have the morals of a rabbit, the character of a slug, and the brain of a platypus.”

Maddie goes on to say, “Let me remind you, one case does not a detective make.”  To which David replies, “Let me remind you, I hate it when you talk backwards.”

In “Solomon vs. Lord,” Victoria says: “From what I hear, you spend more time behind bars than your clients.”  To which Steve replies: “A lawyer who’s afraid of jail is like a surgeon who’s afraid of blood.”

In “The Thin Man,” when asked by a reporter if her husband was working on a case, Nora says, “Yes, a case of Scotch.  Pitch in and help him.”

In “Solomon vs. Lord,” Victoria has the heart of a prosecutor – which in Steve’s mind is no heart at all.  “I’ll bet you think Jean Valjean belonged in prison,” he taunts her.

“He stole the bread, didn’t he?” she replies.

“You’d burn witches at the stake.”

“Not until they exhausted all their appeals.”

In short, they exasperate each other, even while making a dynamic team in the courtroom where Steve’s spontaneity and originality are buttressed by Victoria’s organization and discipline

What about after work?  Do the sparks fly there, too?

“Opposites attract,” as Frank Sinatra once sang.  But these two can’t even agree on the meaning of love, much less give in to it.  “Love is a rational, synergistic coupling of two people with mutual interests and similar values,” Victoria says.  This befuddles Steve who demands to know: “Where’s the lust and laughter?”

You’ll have to read the book to find out!

Read more about Paul Levine and his other series at http://www.paul-levine.com

Cartoon of the Day: Library

Cartoon of the Day: Writers

From Non Sequitur:

Happy Birthday, Margaret Rutherford

In honor of Dame Margaret Rutherford's Birthday (May 11), TCM is showing four movies in which she portrays Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. Check your local listing for times.

Murder She Said (1961)
Murder at the Gallop (1963)
Murder Most Foul (1964)
The Alphabet Murder (1965)

Margaret Rutherford Biography from TCM
Gifted, endearing character player, in films since the mid-1930s. A master scene-stealer, Rutherford personified the eccentric English spinster in a number of famous comedies, including David Lean's classic "Blithe Spirit" (1945), as the enthusiastic, bicycle-riding psychic, Madame Arcati. In "The Happiest Days of Your Life" (1950), she teamed beautifully with Alistair Sim for a rollicking secondary school farce. With her plump figure, small and piercing eyes, and bulldog expression, Rutherford could embody a spirit of prim, stiff-upper-lip efficiency or could play a classic, fidgety bungler with equal ease. She made a memorably nervous Miss Prism in a sterling film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's farce, "The Importance of Being Earnest" (1952). Rutherford is perhaps best known as the indomitable title character in four "Miss Marple" mystery films of the 60s. Most of Rutherford's credits are British, but she won an Academy Award for her hilarious rendition of a daffy duchess down on her luck in the old-fashioned, all-star Hollywood anthology drama, "The V.I.P.s" (1963). This much-loved trouper was created a Dame Commander of the British Empire in the late 60s shortly before her death.

Hat Tip: Doc Quartermass

Director Sam Mendes options Flavia de Luce Mystery

American Beauty director Sam Mendes has bought the rights to Canadian author Alan Bradley’s New York Times-bestselling Flavia de Luce mysteries.

The 10-part Flavia de Luce series (four are in print so far) follows the adventure of a precocious 11-year-old sleuth in post WWII England.

Bradley, who grew up in Cobourg, ON, took early retirement from the media center at the University of Saskatchewan in 1994 to write. His first Flavia de Luce book, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, was a surprise hit when it came out in 2009.

Bradley’s books have so far been sold in 33 countries and translated into 31 languages.

Wonder who will be cast if this goes into production.

Hat Tip: KrimiBlog

Mother's Day Crime Fiction

Mother's Day: So many infamous Mothers in Mysteries, but this is just a sampling with emphasis on the Mother's Day Holiday. If I listed all the mysteries and crime fiction with famous and infamous mothers, the list would be way too long. Be sure and scroll down to the Psycho Trailer!

MOTHER'S DAY MYSTERIES

Angel at Troublesome Creek by Mignon F. Ballard
How to Murder Your Mother-in-Law by Dorothy Cannell
Mother's Day Murder by Wensley Clarkson
A Darkly Hidden Truth by Donna Fletcher Crow
Motherhood is Murder (Shorts) by Mary Daheim, Carolyn Hart, Shirley Rousseau Murphy and Jane Isenberg
Murder Can Upset Your Mother by Selma Eichler
Bon Bon Voyage by Nancy Fairbanks
Murder for Mother: Short Story collection, edited by Martin S. Greenberg
Murder Superior by Jane Haddam
The Mother’s Day Murder by Lee Harris
Mother’s Day by Patricia MacDonald
Mother's Day by Dennis McDougal
Mother’s Day Murder by Leslie Meier
Mom, Apple Pie & Murder: A collection of New Mysteries for Mother’s Day, edited by Nancy Pickard
Mother’s Day by Joshua Quittner and Michelle Slatalla
A Mother's Day Murder by Genevieve Scholl

Happy Mother's Day!

Bookmobiles

I'm all for Bookmobiles. I used to consider the trunk of my 1985 Toyota Corolla as a bookmobile. If anything happened on the road, I would always have a book or 10 or 50. And, it was so convenient to lend books to others when I visited.  Just pop the trunk and rummage through. I finally traded that Toyota in last year--well I actually donated it to the local PBS station--and  I haven't accumulated quite as many books in my 'new' vehicle.  Let's face it 26 years made for a very eclectic and large accumulation of books. You never knew what you'd find. Definitely mobile.

So recently, Flavorwire  had a post on "Incredibly Unique Bookmobiles around the world".  Thought I'd share some of then. Be sure and check out the article and photos here.

The photo above is my favorite. 1949 Chevy-turned-bookmobile. 

The Camel Bookmobile in Kenya.
This Camel Bookmobile brings books to desolate area of Kenya.

Read more HERE.

Craig Johnson guest post

Janet Rudolph & Craig Johnson

Craig Johnson sent this post to his fans and readers, so I asked if I could repost it for all and sundry to read. I'm looking forward to Longmire which starts on A&E in June, and I've just finished Craig's lastest novel, As the Crow Flies. It's terrific!

Craig Johnson:

We were filming the pilot episode for A&E’s Longmire last March, when the director, Chris Chulack, turned to me and said, “Do you want to be in this scene?”
          
I glanced through the twin monitors and onto the street outside the Absaroka County Sheriff’s Office set in Las Vegas, New Mexico, doing its best to appear as northern Wyoming. Across the street Katee Sackoff, the actress who plays Victoria ‘Vic’ Moretti, was rehearsing a scene with another actor, Rio Alexander, by yanking the much larger man from her unit, throwing him onto the hood of a parked car, cuffing him and dragging him across the street toward us.
         
 “I don’t think so.”
          
Chris smiled. “I meant you could stand on the sidewalk and do a cameo; all the authors do it.”
          
I remember seeing John Irving as the conductor in Cider House Rules, and even heard that Lee Child did a stint as an NYPD cop who hands his character Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) his toothbrush in an upcoming film One Shot, and when I asked him about it, Lee told me he delivered his one line flawlessly. But the story that always hangs in my mind is the one when Tony Hillerman had a speaking line in the 1991 film The Dark Wind, where he played a state penitentiary warden. The scene is documented in one of my favorite books, Tony’s autobiography, Seldom Disappointed, with a photograph of Tony in a suit and tie alongside the young actor playing Jim Chee in the film—Mr. Lou Diamond Phillips. What goes around comes around in that Lou is now playing Henry Standing Bear in the televised version of my books. The looks on the two men’s faces in the photograph are priceless—Tony has a look of disappointed perplexity and Lou’s expression is one of devastatingly wry humor.

Lou tells it best, “Hillerman was a warm and kind gentleman, who made me extremely proud and grateful to bring such an iconic character to life. Every once in a while, we get blessed with the kind of writing that brings out the best in us and challenges us to bring our hearts, minds and souls to a role completely. Funny thing is, he could write the words so very eloquently but had a little more trouble making them come out of his own mouth.”

What Lou is graciously saying is that Tony blew his lines on every take, so much so that they decided that maybe it would be best if Tony simply ‘looked’ the line. I guess that didn’t work either because, in Tony’s own words, “I ended up on the cutting-room floor.”
          
I stood there looking at Chris Chulack, the captain of the ship, the man I was entrusting to coax the best performances from the best and brightest performers, the man who wanted me to go out on the sidewalk and represent some semblance of humanity. “I don’t think so.”
          
He studied me, a little surprised. “Really? You’re sure?”
          
“Um, yeah.”
         
 “You don’t have to say anything.”
          
I thought about it, figuring I’d trip over the curb. “That’s okay.”
         
A few days later, I guess not completely satisfied with my response, Chulack gave me another shot at a scene in Henry Standing Bear’s Red Pony Bar. There were dozens of extras in the place, loud and raucous so much noise that you wouldn’t have been able to hear me stumble through a line if I remembered it.
          
My wife, Judy hung on my arm in hopes that I would say yes, the two of us immortalized in television posterity.
         
 “Nope, I don’t think so.”
          
So Longmire is on Sunday, June 3rd at 10pm EDT/9c on A&E. I hope you enjoy the show but don’t look to see me peeking around trees or dancing at the Red Pony; I think I’ll stick with writing books.

As the Crow Flies, the newest in the Walt Longmire series was named the Barnes & Noble, Mystery and Crime Hardback Pick of the Month along with Hell is Empty as the Mystery and Crime Trade Paperback Pick of the Month—the first time a single author has received such an honor they tell me. Look for them both on the shelves (As The Crow Flies, Tuesday, May 15th) or get out there and pre-order, or better yet, come see him on tour.

Photo: Carol Fairweather

Maurice Sendak: R.I.P.

Maurice Sendak, one of the most important children's writer and illustrator of our time, died today. He brought fantasy into the reader's imagination. He also wrote operas and ballets for the stage and television.  Where the Wild Things are is one of my favorite books. He was 83. He will be missed.

In a recent NPR Fresh Air interview with Terry Gross, he said that the following two lines from his latest book Bumble-ardy sum up his work and his life:

When his aunt returns she says, "Okay smarty, you've had your party but never again." Bumble-ardy replies, "I promise, I swear, I won't ever turn 10."

"Those two lines are essential. 'I'll never be 10' touches me deeply but I won't pretend that I know exactly what it means," says Sendak. "When I thought of it, I was so happy I thought of it. It came to me, which is what the creative act is all about. Things come to you without you necessarily knowing what they mean. ... It comes at a time when I am getting ripe, getting old — and I want to do work that resonates."

Sendak said that he worked on Bumble-ardy while taking care of his longtime partner, Eugene Glynn, who died of lung cancer in 2007.

"When I did Bumble-ardy, I was so intensely aware of death," he says. "Eugene, my friend and partner, was dying here in the house when I did Bumble-ardy. I did Bumble-ardy to save myself. I did not want to die with him. I wanted to live as any human being does. But there's no question that the book was affected by what was going on here in the house. ... Bumble-ardy was a combination of the deepest pain and the wondrous feeling of coming into my own. And it took a long time. It took a very long time."

Read the interview here.

Don Winslow & Chuck Hogan Write Crime Thriller Script

Deadline reports that crime writers Don Winslow and Chuck Hogan are writing a contemporary crime thriller script to be produced by Shane Salerno.  he script revolves around two men who inevitably collide, amidst a host of supporting characters. Winslow and Hogan will each focus on one of the characters, and meld the plot into a script which Salerno will bring to studios once it is completed.

Universal shifted the Oliver Stone-directed adaptation of Winslow’s Savages from a fall to July 6 slot, with a cast that includes Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Benicio Del Toro, John Travolta and Salma Hayek. That script was written by Salerno & Winslow & Stone. Salerno & Winslow are currently adapting Winslow’s period spy thriller Satori for Warner Bros, with Leonardo DiCaprio starring and John Lesher and Jennifer Davisson Killoran producing and Salerno executive producer. Winslow has also written a Savages prequel novel, The Kings of Cool, which Simon & Schuster will release June 19.

Read More Here.

Hat Tip: PopcultureNerd

More Creative Bookshelves

Flavorwire has a new post on 30 Gorgeous and Innovative bookshelves, but this one is definitely my cup of tea.
 

 
Stacked Teacup Bookshelf available by special order on etsy. 

Be sure and check out the entire slide show of great innovative bookshelves.

Ann Cleeves's Red Bones to be adapted by BBC

Ann Cleeves shared the news yesterday that BBC 1 has commissioned a 2 part adaptation from her Shetland novel RED BONES. The show stars Douglas Henshall and is directed by Peter Hoare who worked on Vera. Filming will be based in Shetland and the Scottish mainland.  Love this series, and I
 can't wait for the show to wend its way to the U.S.

Congratulations, Ann!

From Ann's website:

Scots actor Douglas Henshall has been cast as the lead role in Shetland, a new two-part drama set in Scotland for BBC One, produced by ITV Studios through BBC Scotland, and written by David Kane, adapted from Ann Cleeves's books featuring Detective Jimmy Perez.

Like the books, the powerful murder-mystery is set against the stunning Scottish backdrop of the Shetland Isles and centres on Detective Jimmy Perez (played by Henshall - The Kidnap Diaries, The Silence), but there are differences, too. Perez is recently widowed, a native Shetlander who has returned home after a long spell away. His bone-dry sense of humour and an idealistic desire to protect his beloved Shetland Isles from inevitable change make him a fascinating detective to watch at work.

When a young archaeologist discovers a set of human remains, the island community is intrigued to know if it's an ancient find or a contemporary mystery. And when an elderly woman is shot on her land in a tragic accident, Perez and his team find themselves at the centre of two feuding families whose envy, greed and bitterness has divided the surrounding community.

The Executive Producer is Elaine Collins, of ITV Studios, the team who brought Ann's Vera Stanhope to television. She says: "We are delighted to be working with the BBC on this commission. Shetland combines eccentric yet warm characters and a classic murder mystery story with the beautiful landscape and rich history of the Shetland Islands and we believe it will be hugely popular with viewers."

Christopher Aird, Head of Drama, Scotland and Executive Producer, BBC adds: "Shetland has a fantastic combination of writing, acting, directing and producing talent. It is a hugely exciting story and part of a project to bring the very best drama to BBC Scotland in the coming years."
Ann Cleeves says: " I'm delighted that my old friends from ITV Studios have teamed up with the BBC to create a television adaptation of the Jimmy Perez book Red Bones. I couldn't be in safer hands. And it's brilliant that the UK now has its own Nordic TV drama!"

Fans of Ann's Shetland Quartet will know that Red Bones is the third book in the quartet; new readers are recommended to start at the beginning, with Raven Black, the award-winning first book.